Q: I feel so much pain for my son right now. He is 24 and has been single for the past two years after a long relationship ended. He has lamented to me many, many times about his loneliness, and tonight he told me he hasn't even been kissed in two years. He doesn't understand how someone who is kind, honest and gentle has to go through this pain, and neither do I. He goes to the local state university, and has tried to meet people in various places, but hasn’t had much luck. He’s a great human being. Any ideas?

A: I’m very sorry that your son has this “pain” to deal with, and I’m sorry you have to watch it. It can be incredibly difficult to watch your child in emotional pain. I wish I had the magic answer here, because if I did, I’d be happy to give it you. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix here. But, since he goes to a university, there are several free counseling services available to him. If it were my son, I’d do everything in my power to get him to see a counselor on campus. There is no better place to discuss and explore deep interpersonal issues such as this than face to face with a trained listener. Since he is 24, legally you can’t make him do anything, but using your motherly powers of persuasion just might do the trick. That is the best advice I can give you. I wish you both peace of mind, happiness and much better days.